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Shands Family History

Shands Name Meaning

Scottish: variant of Shand formed with the English patronymic ending -s. Perhaps an Americanized form of German Schantz .

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Sands, Hands, Shand, Shanes, Shanks, Shank, Hand, Hanes, Sand, Shad

Search for a relative to learn more about your family history.

Hint: Try searching for a relative alive in 1940.

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Where is the Shands family from?

You can see how Shands families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Shands family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Shands families were found in USA in 1880. In 1911 there were 9 Shands families living in British Columbia. This was about 75% of all the recorded Shands's in Canada. British Columbia had the highest population of Shands families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Shands surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Shands ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Housework were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Shands. 32% of Shands men worked as a Laborer and 23% of Shands women worked as a Housework. Some less common occupations for Americans named Shands were Clerk and Seamstress. .

View Census Data for Shands | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, Canada data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    32%
  • Farmer
    15%
  • Manager
    6%
  • Clerk
    5%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Housework
    23%
  • Teacher
    17%
  • Servant
    17%
  • Seamstress
    12%
Black & white image of two construction labourers

What Shands family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 5,000 census records available for the last name Shands. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Shands census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Shands

Passenger Lists

There are 408 immigration records available for the last name Shands. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Shands immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 971 military records available for the last name Shands. For the veterans among your Shands ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Shands lifespan?

Between 1941 and 2004, in the United States, Shands life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1958, and highest in 1998. The average life expectancy for Shands in 1941 was 37, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Shands

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